Ellen DeGeneres Criticized Over $5,000 Donation to Late Producer

Ellen DeGeneres has faced criticism online after donating $5,000 to a fundraiser for Matthew Wright, the former executive producer of her talk show who died suddenly at 52.

The 68-year-old media figure, who shared an emotional video of herself crying after learning of Wright’s death, was among the contributors to a GoFundMe campaign created to support his family.

The circumstances surrounding Wright’s death have not been disclosed. The fundraiser described it as an “unfathomable tragedy” that occurred in Los Angeles.

DeGeneres ranked among the campaign’s leading donors with her $5,000 contribution. However, because her fortune has been estimated at $500 million by Celebrity Net Worth, some social media users argued that the donation should have been larger.

The Daily Mail has contacted DeGeneres’s representatives for comment but has not received a response.

Podcaster and author Dana Parish highlighted the situation in a post on X, writing: “Ellen DeGeneres’s 52-y/o longtime exec producer, Matt Wright, tragically died on Oct 30, while working in LA. His fam is in NY & started a GFM to help with expenses. Ellen donated $5k.”

Criticism quickly appeared in the comments, with one person sarcastically writing: “Big spender. She was crying her eyes out so much why didn’t she just pay the entire 50k.”

Another commenter claimed Wright had been worried because he and his husband were both unemployed while supporting their children, adding, “She is heartless.” A separate user called DeGeneres “a cheapskate.”

Other users came to DeGeneres’s defense, questioning why the family needed crowdfunding when Wright had worked as an executive producer on one of the most successful talk shows of the past 25 years.

“Executive producer for Ellen DeGensres show needs financial help??? How can that be?” one person wrote.

“Does a longtime executive producer of one of the biggest shows ever need a GoFundMe?” another X user asked. However, one commenter pushed back against the criticism, writing: “I can’t stand Ellen but this post is stupid. We don’t know if they were still friends or even liked each other.”

The GoFundMe page explained the financial pressures facing Wright’s loved ones.

“His husband, father, sister and niece are in New York, desperate to be reunited for a proper goodbye. We’re asking for all of his friends, who Matt loved so fully, to help the family at this time,” the fundraiser stated.

“As many of you know, Matt & Justin were both laid off this summer. And the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear.”

Meanwhile, DeGeneres posted a video sobbing as she paid tribute to her former colleague on Monday. 

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DeGeneres said: ‘He was an amazing guy, he was funny, god he made me laugh, he would surprise me with things that he did all the time. 

‘He was smart, he was kind, he was part of our show. everyone loved him.’

Tearing up, she continued: ‘I loved him and it’s just shocking. We were working on a project together that we were supposed to start.

‘We’re gonna miss him, he is and always will be the glue to our entire family at the Ellen Show.

‘I’m so sorry because we lost a good guy. 

‘And he and tWitch [the late Stephen Boss, who died by suicide in 2022] were so close. And now he and tWitch are together, dancing and laughing.’

Wright worked on the talk show for 16 years. When the show ended in 2022 amid a storm of controversy over an alleged toxic workplace environment, he wrote, ‘How do I even begin to sum up 16 years of my life? 

‘I’ve made so many best friends, had so many amazing experiences, met so many heroes of mine and even fell in love thanks to this show.

‘I will forever be grateful to @theellenshow for taking a chance on me and changing my life! Here’s to an amazing run!’

Andy Lassner, a fellow EP on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, revealed he had seen Wright just ‘hours’ before he died. 

He wrote on Instagram, ‘These photos were taken Thursday, while we were taping our Halloween show. Matt came by to visit.

‘A few hours later, he was gone. We are all in shock.

‘We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being. 

‘The way he looked after his mom, flying back and forth from Los Angeles to New York practically every weekend before she died, showed what an incredible son he was.

‘My heart breaks for his husband, Justin, his family, and all of us who loved him. I was so lucky to work beside Matt for so many years and to call him my friend. We should have had so much more time with him.’